Back / lumbar spine decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete STRs and personnel records, as well as potential errors in duty to assist. The issues are intertwined with his back disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right foot condition, left foot condition, sciatica, and back condition due to incomplete records.

The Veteran withdrew all his claims on appeal, including those for increased ratings and service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar disc degeneration, finding that the Veteran's back disability is due to his military service. The decision also notes that the Veteran may have other related conditions like arthritis.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the April 1, 2020 rating decision was dismissed as he did not timely file a VA Form 10182 and good cause has not been shown to extend the filing deadline.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's back and cervical spine disabilities. However, it has also remanded the issue of service connection or entitlement to a separate compensable evaluation for a psychiatric disability that is related to his service-connected back disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and thoracolumbar spine strain due to insufficient evidence in the current VA examination report. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for his claimed conditions as he does not have a current disability.

Effective dates of May 20, 2019, have been granted for the service connection of generalized anxiety disorder, degenerative arthritis of both knees and the thoracolumbar spine, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.

The Board has determined that there is insufficient evidence of a current right hip disability and remanded the claims for left hip and back disabilities. The Veteran's PTSD remains at a 30% rating.

The Veteran's back disability and left lower extremity radiculopathy are rated at 40 percent, but the rating for PTSD is denied. The Veteran also received a TDIU.

The Veteran's lumbar spinal stenosis is granted as service connected, secondary to his service-connected left knee disability.,The Veteran's PTSD does not warrant a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The appeal concerning the issue of entitlement to service connection for PTSD is dismissed.,Entitlement to service connection for a back condition is denied.

The Veteran's back brace, used to treat his service-connected lumbar sprain with spondylolisthesis and radiculopathy of the bilateral lower extremities, causes wear and tear on his clothing. The Board granted an annual clothing allowance for a back brace in 2020.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist error and requires an opinion on whether the Veteran's low back disability was aggravated by an in-service injury, event, or illness.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, fungal condition on the right foot, and lumbosacral strain due to inadequate opinions in the May 2021 VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent her from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment during the period on appeal, thus TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's hypertension, left knee arthralgia, right knee arthralgia, lumbar strain with DDD, and shoulder disabilities are not shown to be related to service.,Erectile dysfunction is not shown to be caused by or aggravated by a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain and right knee conditions were denied, with the rating for lumbosacral strain remaining at 20 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of an addendum opinion addressing the etiology of the Veteran's cervical spine disorder, which may be related to service.

The Veteran's lumbosacral strain, intervertebral disc syndrome is granted service connection. The right shoulder disability is currently rated at 30 percent and not entitled to an increased rating.